Delahaye 135 M Malmaison 1948 / Manual

This Delahaye 135 M left the workshops of Marcel Pourtout in Rueil-Malmaison in 1948. It is a very fine and rare example of the first post-war Delahaye between a classic style and the "integral" pontoon.

Our chassis #800997 was built to be exhibited at the 1948 Paris Salon under the name "Malmaison". The vertical grille was designed by Philippe Charbonneaux, who was approved by Delahaye for production from 1946, but was redesigned by the coachbuilder.


This car took part in a number of Concours d'Elegance during the period, including the one at Enghien-les-Bains in June 1949 and the Grande Cascade in the Bois de Boulogne. It is also known to have been owned in 1952 by the Marquis de Cuevas, the famous choreographer and director of a ballet company, with registration number 1548 C 75, and then by several French owners, including the Comte de Ribot in 1954 (461 BW 06), M. Louis de Poitevin de Fontignac in 1957 (851 CM 16), M. Beauvais in 1970 (613 LC 86), Mr Vernhes in 1982 (3429 KM 32) and in 1983 Mr Ramos (1943 JP 33) before being exported to the United States after a restoration (bodywork-painting-saddlery) carried out by the Atelier Automobiles Anciennes de Chambray-lès-Tours in 1988/1989.

A letter from Claude Pourtout (son of coachbuilder Marcel Pourtout), who supervised the restoration, authenticates the car as a creation of his father's workshops.

Sold at auction in New York in October 1989, the car was exhibited in two museums in the USA before being purchased by the current owner more than 10 years ago.